UFC 57

Infobox MMA event
name = UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3


promotion = Ultimate Fighting Championship
date = February 4, 2006
venue = Mandalay Bay Events Center
city = Las Vegas, Nevada
attendance = 11,000 (Paid 10,301) [http://boxing.nv.gov/MMAgates.htm]
gate = $3,382,400
buyrate = 400,000-410,000 [http://www.ivansblog.com/2006/07/mixed-martial-arts-ufcs-pay-per-view.html]
previousevent =
followingevent =

"UFC 57: Liddell vs. Couture 3" was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 4, 2006. It was held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, and broadcasted live on pay-per-view in the United States.

Headlining the card was an anticipated rubber match between top UFC stars and former coaches of "The Ultimate Fighter" Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture, widely touted and marketed as MMA's first major trilogy.

It was the UFC's largest grossing gate to date, $3.3 million [ [http://boxing.nv.gov/MMAgates.htm] ] , in addition to an estimate of over 400,000 pay-per-view buys. The disclosed fighter payroll for the event was $667,000. [ [http://www.ivansblog.com/2006/07/mixed-martial-arts-ufc-fighter.html Ivan's Blog- Ivan Trembow's Self-Important, Random Rants on Mixed Martial Arts, Video Games, Pro Wrestling, Television, Politics, Sports, and High-Quality Wool Socks ] ] __NOTOC__

Results

Preliminary card

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Keith Jardine vs. flagicon|USA Mike Whitehead:Jardine wins by a unanimous decision. This match was a preliminary match and was not aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Jeff Monson vs. flagicon|USA Branden Lee Hinkle:Monson wins by technical submission (referee stoppage) with a North/South choke in the first round at 4:35. This match was a preliminary match, but was aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Paul Buentello vs. flagicon|USA Gilbert Aldana:Buentello wins by technical knockout in the second round at 2:27. This match was a preliminary match and was not scheduled to air on the pay-per-view broadcast, but was broadcasted on tape delay after time allowed for an additional fight to be aired.

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|Italy Alessio Sakara vs flagicon|Australia Elvis Sinosic:Sakara wins by unanimous decision. This match was a preliminary match and was not aired on the pay-per-view broadcast.

Main card

*Welterweight bout: flagicon|USA Joe Riggs vs. flagicon|USA Nick Diaz:Riggs wins by a unanimous decision.

*Light heavyweight bout: flagicon|Brazil Renato "Babalu" Sobral vs flagicon|USA Mike van Arsdale:Sobral wins by submission with a rear naked choke in the first round at 2:21.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|Brazil Márcio Cruz vs flagicon|USA Frank Mir:Cruz wins by a technical knockout in the first round at 4:10.

*Heavyweight bout: flagicon|USA Brandon Vera vs. flagicon|USA Justin Eilers:Vera wins by knockout with a kick and a knee in the first round at 1:25.

*Light heavyweight championship bout: Champion flagicon|USA Chuck Liddell vs. flagicon|USA Randy Couture:Liddell wins by knockout in the second round at 1:28. Couture announces his retirement after the loss.

Fighter Payouts

*Chuck Liddell: $250,000
*Randy Couture: $225,000
*Renato "Babalu" Sobral: $32,000
*Frank Mir: $26,000
*Paul Buentello: $22,000
*Joe Riggs: $20,000
*Mike Van Arsdale: $16,000
*Keith Jardine: $10,000
*Nick Diaz: $10,000
*Alessio Sakara: $10,000
*Brandon Vera: $10,000
*Marcio Cruz: $8,000
*Elvis Sinosic: $6,000
*Jeff Monson: $6,000
*Mike Whitehead: $5,000
*Justin Eilers: $5,000
*Branden Lee Hinkle: $4,000
*Gilbert Aldana: $2,000

*Total Fighter Payouts: $667,000

ources

* [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=3942 "Liddell’s KO Outshone Only by Couture’s Retirement"] by Josh Gross, "Sherdog", February 5, 2006, retrieved February 19, 2006
* [http://boxing.nv.gov/2006Results/02-04-06%20MMA.pdf Mixed martial arts show results, Mandalay Bay, 02-04-06 (PDF)] , Nevada State Athletic Commission, retrieved February 23, 2006
* [http://boxing.nv.gov/MMAgates.htm Top MMA Gates] , Nevada State Athletic Commission, retrieved February 19, 2006
* [http://www.ivansblog.com/2006/07/mixed-martial-arts-ufcs-pay-per-view.html UFC PPV Buys Explode in 2006]
* [http://www.ivansblog.com/2006/07/mixed-martial-arts-ufc-fighter.html UFC Fighter Salaries for 2006] (includes fighter salaries for UFC 57)